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Asus PadFone X mini Review
1

Introduction
Asus loves getting its hands into everything. That’s not a bad thing, since variety in its products go a long way to giving consumers the power of choice. At the same time, though, it means that there are a whole lot of redundant, forgettable devices that attempt to win us over. Just this past recent summer, we were introduced to the Asus PadFone X – a high spec’d, versatile, dual functioning device that can go instantly from smartphone to tablet, and vice versa. Well, it seems that Asus just can’t resist giving us options, as the Asus PadFone X mini is a similar functioning device in a smaller package.
The package contains:
- microUSB cable
- Wall charger
- 7-inch tablet body
- Stereo headphones
- User guide
Design
Conventional is one way of describing its overall looks, but it’s still pretty neat for its versatile, dual functioning design.
Neither the phone, nor the tablet sport a compelling design, which isn’t much of a shocker factoring in its inexpensive cost. The Asus PadFone X mini is a thick, plastic-bodied thing that doesn’t even attempt to be attractive. Despite the lack of attention, we certainly like that it’s compact in size to hold easily in one hand. On the surface, it looks closely similar to its beefier sibling in the PadFone X, but it’s obvious that it doesn’t receive as much love.
It’s not every day that a phone can instantly turn into a tablet, and vice versa, so we really appreciate the PadFone X mini’s versatility in doing so. Just as before, all that’s required is to slide the phone into the slot in the back of the 7-inch tablet. Essentially, it’s the phone that powers the tablet – though, technically, it’s the phone that gets charged in the process.

Dimensions
5.57 x 2.78 x 0.43 inches
141.5 x 70.7 x 11 mm
Weight
5.26 oz (149 g)

Dimensions
5.57 x 2.78 x 0.43 inches
141.5 x 70.7 x 11 mm
Weight
5.26 oz (149 g)
Compare these and other phones using our Size Comparison tool.
Display
There’s just a laundry list of unpleasant qualities with the phone’s display, including the tablet’s screen.
Hardly the stuff that gets us drooling, the Asus PadFone X mini’s 4.5-inch 480 x 854 display doesn’t have any redeeming qualities to make it a pleasure to use. Instead, it’s just effective for the bare essentials – and nothing more! The laundry list of unpleasant qualities with the screen is an endless one, like its lack of sharpness, so-so 385 nit brightness, the panel’s colder looking tone, and its distorted look at various wide angles. In terms of color reproduction, it’s decent looking when viewed straight up, but it begins to wash out the wider we go. Unfortunately, those same qualities also translate over to the 7-inch 800 x 1280 display of the tablet – albeit, we find its resolution to be sufficient for practical usage on a tablet.
Display measurements and quality
Maximum brightness Higher is better | Minimum brightness (nits) Lower is better | Contrast Higher is better | Color temperature (Kelvins) | Gamma | Delta E rgbcmy Lower is better | Delta E grayscale Lower is better | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Asus PadFone X mini |
385 (Average) |
12 (Average) |
1:2215 (Excellent) |
7222 (Good) |
2.59 |
5.37 (Average) |
4.9 (Average) |
Kyocera Brigadier |
610 (Excellent) |
72 (Poor) |
1:1200 (Good) |
7047 (Good) |
1.92 |
6.39 (Average) |
5.51 (Average) |
Motorola Moto G (2014) |
390 (Average) |
15 (Poor) |
1:908 (Average) |
8290 (Poor) |
2.39 |
5.32 (Average) |
6.78 (Average) |
Nokia Lumia 630 |
398 (Average) |
22 (Poor) |
1:867 (Average) |
7049 (Good) |
2.1 |
3.01 (Good) |
3.48 (Good) |
The numbers below represent the amount of deviation in the respective property, observed when a display is viewed from a 45-degree angle as opposed to direct viewing.
Maximum brightness Lower is better | Minimum brightness Lower is better | Contrast Lower is better | Color temperature Lower is better | Gamma Lower is better | Delta E rgbcmy Lower is better | Delta E grayscale Lower is better | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kyocera Brigadier |
74.1% |
73.6% |
63.7% |
5.3% |
3.1% |
12.4% |
75% |
Motorola Moto G (2014) |
86.4% |
86.7% |
77.1% |
13.8% |
0.8% |
17.7% |
18% |
Nokia Lumia 630 |
89.4% |
90.9% |
88.4% |
102.1% |
15.2% |
5% |
190.8% |
Asus PadFone X mini |
89.9% |
91.7% |
82.5% |
1.2% |
5% |
2.2% |
33.5% |
The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set (area) of colors that a display can reproduce, with the sRGB colorspace (the highlighted triangle) serving as reference. The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x: CIE31' and 'y: CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display's measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance (balance between red, green and blue) across different levels of grey (from dark to bright). The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones, the better.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.

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